Juneteenth Celebration

Assemblyperson Mariko Yamada celebrated freedom, equality and achievement with a diverse audience of friends and neighbors in 2011.

The 2011 crowd overflowed into the library lobby and enjoyed fantastic food.

Members of the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club participated in the 2011 Juneteenth. Many are members of local law enforcement agencies and enthralling story tellers. The Tuskegee Airmen were also represented.

Save the Date!

The 2013 Juneteenth on June 22 is a free, family-friendly event. It will include live entertainment, free food, cultural exhibits and craft sales. This year is an even more significant year to join together to celebrate as it is the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation (1863), a proud achievement for all Americans.

The event will begin at 1:00 p.m. at the Veteran’s Memorial Center, 203 East 14th St., Davis, next door to the Davis branch of the Yolo County Library. Activities are scheduled in both facilities until 5:00 p.m. Among the events this year will be “Hats Off to the Ancestors,” a hat show extravaganza.

Juneteenth celebrates the date in June 1865 when President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation was delivered at Galveston, Texas by Federal troops. The Friends of the Library have joined with the Yolo County Library and the City of Davis Human Relations Commission in sponsoring this public event.

The 2013 Juneteenth will be dedicated to the memory of Jack Jackson, long-time advocate for diversity in Yolo County, who passed away in 2012.

Please plan to attend, and consider a tax-deductible donation to help cover costs which include sound services, decorations, stipends for performers plus small scholarships to recognize the academic achievement of several young local students. About $2000 needs to be raised.

You can send your check made payable to the Friends of the Library to the Friends at P.O. Box 91, Davis, 95627-0091, or use the Juneteenth Donation button on the Home Page.